Thill-coupling



UNITE STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOSEPH II. BATTENFIELD, F RUSSELLVILLE, ARKANSAS.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 110.619,122, dated February 7, 1899.

Application led August 14,1897. Serial No. 648,310. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. BATTEN- FIELD, of Russellville, in the county of Pope and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to thill-couplin gs; and its object is to provide an improved form of thill-coupling by means of which the thills may be readily detached from thecarriage and will be held thereon without rattling.

My invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a side elevation of my device. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section therethrough. Fig. 3 is a section on the line o; x of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail of my covering-plate.

The numeral l indicates the body of my device, which is provided with an upwardlyextending portion 2, adapted to be secured to the thill of a vehicle. A rearwardly-extending arm 3 is formed integral with this portion. An enlarged end 4 is formed upon this rearwardly-extending arm. A notch or opening 5 is formed on the lower side of said rearwardly-extending arm and has a semicircular depression 6 in the rear wall thereof. A pocket 7 is formed in front of said notch. An opening or perforation 8 aifords communication between the notch and the pocket 7. A notch 9, having a lug l0 about the middle portion thereof, is formed upon the end of my device. A plate 11, having an end 12 bent over to t said notch and provided with a notch 13 to receive the lug therein, is bent to fit the contour of the lower side of my device. An opening 111 is made near theforward end thereof. Apin 15, held upon the body of my device, is adapted to project into said opening. A spring 16 is held upon the body of the device in such manner as to cause a hook on its lower end to extend under the forward end of the bent plate when the same is in position. A guard 17 serves to prevent too great motion and consequent fracture of said spring, and a key 1S, attached thereto by a chain 19, serves to prevent the spring becoming accidentally unhooked through jars or the like. It will be seen by reason of the spring and the bent end of the plate fitting over the end of the coupling and into the notch 9 therein said plate is held securely upon the coupling. A spring 20, preferably formed with a downwardly-bent end 21, is held upon said plate and is adapted to fit within said pocket. A block 22 is adapted to move within the notch and is provided with a semicircular recess adapted to coact with the recess therein. Astem 23 is attached to said block and extends through the opening or perforation 8 between said notch 5, pocket 7, and the first-mentioned opening. Said stem is of such length that the end thereof contacts with the spring in the pocket, and the block is thereby forced tightly against the forward end of the openingin which it moves. It will thus be apparent that the bolt or coupling-pin can be tightly held between the recessed block 22 and wall of notch 5 without liability of rattling.

I use in connection with this device the ordinary form of axle-iron clip, which has two plates or ears provided with a bolt or other rounded pin connection between them. When it is desired to apply the same; it is simply necessary to draw back the spring, remove the plate, which will permit the block to be shoved back to its fullest extent, place the coupling in position, and replace the plate. As this is done the block will be forced up and the thill securely held.

It is obvious that many minor changes may be made in the form of my device without departing from the material principles thereof. I do not, therefore, desire to confine myself to the exact form herein shown and described, but wish to include all such as properly come within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a thill-coupling, the body portion thereof provided with a notch or opening, a pocket, and an opening or perforation between said notch and pocket, in combination with a block held in said first-mentioned notch or opening, and provided with a coupling-pin recess opposing a coupling-pin recess in the IOO rear Wall of the notch in the body portion, a stem on said block passing through the perforation between said notch and pocket, and a spring held in said pocket and acting on said stem to normally urge said block in the direction of the coupling-pin recess, substantially as described. I

2. In a thill-coupling, the combination with a body portion having a notch or opening provided in one wall with the coupling-pin recess, the pocket formed therein, and the opening or perforation between the said firstmentioned opening and said pocket,of ablock held in said irst-mentioned opening or notch, a stern on said block passing through the perforation or opening between said notch and pocket, a spring in said pocket acting on said stem to normally urge said block in the direction of said recess, and a removable plate held upon said body portion to cover said opening, pocket and spring, substantially as described.

3. In athill-coupling, the combination with a body portion having an opening thereinl plate adapted to be held upon said body portion, and aspringhavingahooked end adapted to extend over said plate and hold the same in position, substantially as described.

4. In athill-coupling, the'combination with a body portion having an opening therein y tioned open-ing and said pocket, of a block held in said first-mentioned opening, a stem passing through the last-mentioned opening,

a spring held in said pocket normally urging said block in the direction of said recess, a plate adapted to be held upon said body portion, av spring adapted to extend over said plate and hold the same in position, a guard i held around said spring, and a key adapted to fit between said guard and said spring and hold the spring in position, substantially as described.

5. In a thill-coupling, the bodyiportion thereof provided with an upward, forward extension for attachment to the thills, and a notched pendent portion at its rear end, the

` rear wall of the notch therein being recessed to receive the coupling-pin, the opposingwall beingprovided with a pocket, -and an openling or perforation between said notch and pocket, in combination with a movable block f provided on its rear face with a recess facing venting lateral movement of said plate rela-V tive to the body portion of the coupling, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this speoit'lcation in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH I-I. BATTENFIELD. Witnesses:

J. L. SHEIM, R. F. ROYS. 

